This invention relates to fuel injectors in general, and more specifically to a fuel injector assembly for mounting a fuel injector to a fuel rail and permitting alignment of the fuel injector with an engine head. The invention also includes a locking mechanism to secure a fuel injector to a fuel rail permitting alignment of the fuel injector, as well as a method of securing a fuel injector to a fuel rail and a method of aligning a fuel injector connected to fuel rail with an engine head.
It is believed to be known to use an engine head to locate a fuel injector for connection with a fuel rail in a conventional attachment system. It is believed that in the conventional system, the engine head includes a fuel injector mounting hole having a locating shoulder. It is believed that an outlet of the fuel injector having a combustion seal is disposed within the fuel injector mounting hole, such that a portion of the fuel injector contacts the shoulder of the engine head, and the combustion seal forms a fluid impermeable barrier with the fuel injector mounting hole. By this arrangement, it is believed that the fuel injector is axially located by the engine head. Typically, the fuel injector mounting hole in the engine head is elongated to more easily position the fuel injector. However, it is believed that the conventional system results in the disadvantage that the tip of the outlet can become caught on the shoulder in the engine head during installation of the fuel injector, possibly resulting in damage to the injector.
It is believed to be known to include a fuel seal on an inlet of the fuel injector for connection with the fuel rail. It is believed that after a typical fuel injector is installed in the engine head, a spring clip is used to secure a retaining feature of the fuel injector to the fuel rail. It is believed that the spring clip must be carefully aligned such that the fuel rail is precisely located and oriented relative to the fuel injector to avoid damaging the fuel and combustion seals of the fuel injector.
During operation of the system in an internal combustion engine, it is believed that carbon builds up on the tip of the injector. It is believed that the carbon build-up within the elongated flow hole and the shoulder of the fuel injector can cause the injector to become trapped within the flow hole. It is further believed that this can damage the fuel injector during attempted removal of the injector from the engine head, and can result in damage to the fuel injector during attempted removal of the injector from the engine head, and can damage the injector, the fuel rail, or other components of the system during the opening and closing of the fuel injector.
The invention provides a fuel injector assembly for mounting a fuel injector to a fuel rail. The assembly includes a cup having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being connected to a fuel rail, the lower portion including an interior, an exterior, and a lower surface. The fuel injector has an inlet, an outlet, and a fuel passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, the inlet being disposed within the interior of the cup. A collar and a ring can cincture the inlet of the fuel injector. A fastener is secured to the exterior of the cup such that the ring establishes an interference fit between the collar and the inlet of the fuel injector.
In a preferred embodiment, a wrap cinctures the exterior of the cup and the fastener. The wrap can be heat shrink tubing and/or formed by heating and shrinking material to secure the cup and the fastener.
The invention also provides a method of aligning a fuel injector connected to a fuel rail with an engine head, the fuel injector having an inlet, an inlet seal cincturing the inlet, an outlet, an outlet seal cincturing the outlet, and a fuel passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet. The inlet seal is disposed in an interior of the fuel rail. The fuel injector is pivoted about the inlet seal such that the outlet of the fuel injector is aligned with an interior an the engine head. The outlet seal is disposed in the interior of the engine head.
The invention further provides a method of attaching a fuel injector to a fuel rail, the fuel injector having an inlet, an inlet seal cincturing the inlet, an outlet, an outlet seal cincturing the outlet, and a fuel passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet. The inlet seal is disposed in an interior of the fuel rail. A collar cinctures the inlet of the fuel injector with a collar. A fastener is connected to an exterior of the fuel rail such that the collar forms an interference fit with the inlet of the fuel injector.